Collisions
by Hornswaggler
Summary: It really was all Percy's fault. Harry is sent to investigate Amity Park and search for remnants of the 'Riddle incident'. What he finds is a little bigger than he expected, and totally out of his control. No PP at all. Rated T to be safe
1. Prologue

**Okay, Harry and Ginny older…Hard. Very. XD I'll get accustomed to Harry, but I'm glad Ginny doesn't come in too much.**

**To all my readers who are waiting for an update from Creation of a Phantom, I promise I am working on it! =3 This one's taking a little while longer than expected, and I managed to write this prologue in a day, so...XD I will have chapter 7 up soon!  
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**This is just a crossover idea I had…I've seen a lot of HP/DP things, but hopefully mine is slightly different. XD It pretty much explains itself.

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**Prologue;**

At the sound of James crying - again - Harry closed his eyes for a moment, letting his head rest in his hands. There were papers strewn across the desk at which he sat, and though a good deal of them were completed it was a daunting task to finish the rest any time tonight. He remained like that for a few minutes, allowing his mind a decent rest until Ginny came downstairs with their son bawling on her hip. The boy's light brown hair, so different from both of his parent's extremes, was sticking up every which way as usual, and the constant flailing of his arms wasn't helping the matter much.

"Not sleeping again?" the young man inquired, setting down the quill that had remained in his hand. His wife shook her head wearily, setting the toddler down in his normal high chair at one end of the table.

"He's as bad as you sometimes," she accused, though her tone was light. "I can imagine this one out roaming the castle in the middle of the night…" Harry chuckled, leaning back in his chair to watch his son squirm. The crying had subdued slightly into a sniveling whine. For whatever reason, the little boy loved being in the dining room. He would sleep anywhere, really, but the dining room always seemed to get him to calm down.

"He'll keep Minerva on her toes at least." As his father stared him down, James began to lessen his twisting, light brown eyes watching green ones as if expecting some rebuke. "Let's just hope he inherits your brains rather than mine…or at least your willingness to actually do the homework." Ginny managed a grin, sinking into a chair at the long table. Everything in the house was big, really. Every set of furniture looked to be expecting a full party at any moment, and there were enough bedrooms to house an entire secret society. Granted, that _had _been its purpose at one point. Number 12 Grimmauld Place was still in use for various meetings, but any serious ones were few and far between these days. Its main use now was for dinner parties, reunions, and of course the living quarters of the Potter family. Though Harry had been a bit reluctant to move into the house of Black after leaving Hogwarts, insisting that it was far to big for two (soon to be three) people, Ginny's argument had won over.

"It's big enough for everyone to visit," she had told him. "And besides, this way you can save the trouble of finding a house and then setting up the usual enchantments around it. Face it Harry, with a bit of cleaning Sirius's old place is perfect. What else would you do with it anyway, use it for storage?"

"Harry?" Jerking himself slightly out of his thoughts, the young man looked up rather guiltily at his wife's exasperated face. At his expression, she laughed, glancing down at the papers in front of him. "I see work hasn't let up at all, huh?"

"Still too much to clean up." He shoved a few of the reports into one pile, warily eying the next set. "Even after all these years, Riddle's whole assault left far too much damage to fix in such a short time. The Muggles in Sweden are still raving about the terrible monsters that have been sent to plague them, even though we cleared the dementors out of there two years ago." He sighed, picking up the quill again and turning to a rather lengthy notice about some stray hoard of boggarts in Thailand. Just as Harry was bending over the parchment, frowning as he began to read, the dying fire in the grate suddenly flared with a puff of sparks. As this was a common occurrence, only James reacted to the sudden light. His crying renewed and Ginny stood, scooping the boy up again in an attempt to quiet him. Harry barely glanced up as a letter slipped out of the fireplace, the flames dying down once more into their previous smoldering state. He leaned out far enough to pluck it up, glancing at the writing on the envelope quickly.

"Something from the Ministry?" Ginny inquired, standing behind him in an attempt to read over his shoulder. The young man shook his head, pulling the seal apart and unfolding the letter.

"Well…not really. It's from Percy, but he usually talks to me at work or just sends an owl…what could be urgent enough to use Floo Powder?" The dining room fell silent, even James quieting down again as his parents read the hastily scrawled letter.

_Harry (and Ginny, as I know she'll read this too),_

_I apologize for the sudden intrusion this letter will bring, but I needed to inform you before the Ministry became aware of the situation._

The two glanced up at each other with wide eyes. Percy was going behind the Minister's back? Apparently it was far more urgent than originally thought. They turned hurriedly back to the paper, reading faster now.

_I also apologize in advance for what this may lead to, but I felt you may be the only one with a clear enough head to handle things. As you surely know, paranoia is running rampant after Riddle's escapade, and things that are simple enough for a few Obliterators are being handed to Aurors. It's simply nonsense._

_I just received word from my father who was on a quick trip to America about a strange little town there. It's called Amity Park, and if the Ministry got wind of this place there would be an uproar. Father was wise enough to leave it off of his report, and though we both feel the Ministry needs to be kept out of it, I think the place ought to be investigated. Neither of us are able to take that much time off without looking odd, but as you're known for unexplained trips abroad, I assume there won't be too many questions if _you _were to go._

_I realize that this is extremely short-notice and a little more than strange, but if you do decide to make the journey, I will explain things more fully. Unfortunately, Father and I require an answer in either direction as soon as possible; if you cannot go, we will have to find someone else to take your place._

_This is now directed at Ginny, whom I can imagine craning to read over your shoulder as she is so fond of doing. I realize you would be more than capable staying at Grimmauld Place alone, but Father says he will be happy to arrange a visit for you and James while Harry is 'vacationing.' We think the less that is known of this ordeal, the better. If it can be taken care of quickly, there won't be much need for the Ministry to hear of it. Knowing Harry's skill at this sort of thing, it shouldn't take more than a few weeks._

_Let me know as soon as you can, Harry. The sooner it's done with, the sooner we won't have to worry about a bunch of Aurors swarming all over the town._

_Give my love to James. I look forward to seeing you all for Christmas, regardless._

_~Percy_

A silence stretched on even after they had both finished reading. Ginny, who had always been a faster reader than her husband, was now staring into the grate at the dying embers. She was started out of her thoughts as Harry suddenly sighed, putting the letter down and reaching for a new parchment and his quill.

"You're answering it already?" Ginny demanded, her voice low as James had since fallen asleep. "What are you telling him? I mean, maybe Dean could look at it, but…"

"I'm going," he stated bluntly, dipping the quill point in ink and beginning to write. "If this is serious enough that Percy of all people decides to keep it hidden from the Ministry, I don't think there's really anyone else who _could _go."

"But if it _is _that serious, why _would _you go?" the young woman asked, setting her son gently into his high-chair again. She leaned over the table, brown eyes meeting green as Harry looked up. "Harry, you don't even know what this is about. Shouldn't you at least ask for more information before plowing off like this?" He sighed slightly, glancing back down at the ink that still glistened on the parchment.

"Apparently Percy knows I can handle it," he murmured. "If he's going so far as to sneaking around his superiors, that has to count for something. It can't be too bad, can it? Some little town in America…that entire country has seen less activity than London in a year. And after all," He grinned, half shrugging. "Haven't I handled worse?" His wife chuckled rather wearily, shaking her head.

"Well, there's that," she conceded. "I can understand Perce's reasoning, at least. If it's something simple like an extra couple of dementors, sending a whole troop of Ministry professionals in there would risk things getting out even more than the creatures themselves. The Muggles can explain away dementors, but not a bunch of Aurors storming in with their wands blazing." Ginny frowned, glancing down at her older brother's writing again. "I know you'll go whether I say you can or not, and I guess it is reasonable…Just promise me you won't go looking for trouble out there." Harry laughed at the age-old joke, laying his free hand over hers.

"As I told your father so many years ago, I never go looking for trouble. Trouble usually just finds _me._" The young woman smiled, shaking her head.

"So you say, but if I hear that you're over there causing some mischief for whatever reason, woe be to you when you return, Harry Potter," she warned, poking him in the arm. With another laugh, Harry turned back to his letter, finishing the last line with a flourish and folding it quickly. Not even bothering to seal the parchment, he stood and strode to the grate. Grabbing a pinch of powder from a flowerpot on the mantle, he tossed it onto the smoldering embers, leaning back slightly as the flames erupted again suddenly. They were dark green this time, however, and the young man wasted no time in tossing the letter in with a call of "Apartment 107, London" before they whisked it away with a slightly warm breeze. It surprised him that Percy's was currently the only apartment 107 connected to the Floo Network, but it worked out well; if there were another, the address would take much longer to say. Harry stood for another moment, staring into the glowing coals before the sound of Jame's crying stirred him again. As Ginny carried the small boy back to his room, the wizard returned to his chair at the table. The reports seemed to glare up at him, daring his tired mind to even attempt any further work. He pushed them aside with a sigh, letting his head fall onto his arms. There was a few minutes of silence before Ginny returned, standing behind him with her hands on his shoulders and her chin resting on his head.

"Amity Park then, huh?" she murmured quietly. "Sounds so…American." Harry chuckled, his hands going over hers.

"I'm sure I'll be bombarded by all of their weird culture. I'll bring you back some of those things they call chips…as long as I don't eat them all on the way." The young woman grinned.

"I'll hold you to that. Now come on, you can finish this later. Percy can't expect you to stay up all night waiting for a reply." She turned, pulling her husband to his feet as he gave a stifled sigh. "You'll have to find out where this place is tomorrow. It might take a while to apparate all over the country."

"I can ask at work," Harry told her, capping the ink bottle carefully and laying it back on the table. "They don't really care what we ask as long as it's not about the Department of Mysteries. _That _can get you some glares." The two exited the dining room, the door swinging shut behind them. The only sound that broke the silence was the very quiet crackling of the wood in the grate, still persistently burning even though all the flames had died away. It was only a few minutes before the fire suddenly flared again, another letter drifting out onto the cold floor. It wasn't sealed as the first had been, and seemed hastily written. As it settled, the folds proved too loose to hold and the parchment opened, the writing facing the ceiling as if waiting for someone to find it.

_Harry,_

_I'm writing this directly after the first letter was sent so it may be sent straight away if you answer in the affirmative._

_Hopefully you plan on departing as soon as possible; I won't say there's a crisis in the town, but it would be best to deal with it before the Ministry gets wind of any oddities. From what Father said, Amity Park certainly is a strange place. He was only there briefly, putting to rest a case involving some mailboxes that were running rampant, but it was apparently long enough to feel the overbearing sense of paranoia that covered the place. The citizens there are accustomed to it, oddly enough. Any tourists that arrive are promptly told of the town's…problems. Though I remain slightly skeptical of their reasons, I still think it deserves to be investigated._

_Apparently, Amity Park is overrun by ghosts. Lots of them. I don't know how it's possible, considering only those of magic origin are able to leave an imprint of themselves and the wizarding population is low in that area…but they are adamant that there are ghosts everywhere. Anyone that lives there is of the same opinion, and they look down on skeptics. They say none of the ghosts are there just to haunt the place; apparently, they somehow manage to do some considerable property damage. Again I'm of the opinion that these Americans have managed to produce a mass delusion of some sort. Any knowledgeable person knows that ghosts are completely intangible, and therefore aren't able to do any harm to the living. They are willing to swear, however, that all of the craters in streets and holes in the buildings are the aftermath of battles between the various ghosts. Perhaps they are trying to hide from fees for poor maintenance , but whatever it is, it seems to be working._

_There is one particular spirit that the citizens are all in an uproar about; he's the only one that has questionable motives, as some insist he helps the town while others will tell you he is responsible for most of the damage. He calls himself Danny Phantom, though there are some that insist his name is 'Inviso-Bill'. Though Father was told that he's seen more frequently than any other ghost there, there was no sighting while he was there. One person he asked about it insisted that Phantom was almost never seen without another ghost present, and that they were always fighting for one reason or another. There are hundreds of ideas about Phantom, some of which just seem absurd, but he seems to be the one that most know about._

_Please realize, Harry, that my father got all of this information after a few hours in the town. There is certainly much more to be discovered, and that can only happen if someone is to stay a while and attempt to blend in with the population. They are a suspicious lot, and though willing to share all of their paranoias with random strangers, I'm sure there is much more to be found out with a little investigation. We do _not _want the Ministry finding out about this unless it's proven to be a real Ministry-level issue. For all we know, it could be some Confundus charm gone wrong or the aftereffects of a dementor attack. Hopefully there will not be very much to fix, and if anyone is capable of doing it quickly and quietly, it would be you. We simply want you to go into the town and find out exactly what it is that's causing these delusions and, if possible, put an end to them. There is a chance there are a few ghosts and the Muggles' imaginations have multiplied them; if that is the case, you may have to negotiate with them about revealing themselves to the town._

_I'll send you any other information Father has if you need it. I'm afraid most of it will have to be discovered on your own. Tell Ginny that she and James can come to the Burrow at anytime and to send Father an owl if she prefers to stay at Grimmauld Place._

_Best regards, and best of luck,_

_~Percy

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**Soo…to be honest, I'm not sure I'll finish this. I hardly know where it'll go. X3 I thought I'd post it and see if there was enough of a response to continue. **

**If anyone wonders, Danny will not be as old as Harry. I put Harry at about…23 here now. Danny would be 17, at the oldest. I must admit, I'm behind on my DP knowledge (trying to watch the series again. It goes slowly) so I'm not exactly sure what happens in Phantom Planet…but from what I hear, Danny's secret gets out. I'll just say now that in this, no one except Sam, Tucker, and Jazz know about it. (No humans, at least. X3) So apologies for inconsistencies that may cause, but…-shrug-**

**Let me know if you like it, give me ideas as to what the wizarding community of America might be like, (It'll be a short little part in the next chapter) give me any ideas for the rest of the plotline if you'd like it to continue. Read my other stories, as well! The main reason I don't want to continue this now is the fact that I'd almost certainly drop Creation of a Phantom, which I do NOT want to do. ^^ I'll finish that first and then consider this one here. If there's a good deal of response, I might work on this between chapters of the other one.**

**This is a long note…XD So, kudos to the readers! Reviews are loved!**

**~Waggy**


	2. Chapter 1

**So Waggy wanted to write the first chapter…so she did. =3 It's still basically introducing everything. Just kinda for the heck of it and it gets Harry into America.**

**No, I don't own the things I don't own. No suing me! -cringe-**

**Enjoy!

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It hadn't taken long to see Ginny off to the Burrow, her arms laden with a squirming toddler and a large duffel bag. The fire was lit, crackling rather merrily to one side as Harry attempted a brief hug, though gave up quickly as James had a wonderful time hitting his father with the rattle in his hand.

"You better keep in touch," the young woman had warned, hoisting the small boy further up her hip. "I have no idea where you'll be, and it seems rather pointless to send an owl if they'll return after you do…" Harry chuckled.

"Well, I know exactly where you'll be. I'll definitely get a hold of you; have to keep you updated on how weird the place really is."

As she stepped into the green flames with a shout of 'The Burrow!' the man had given a final wave. It briefly dawned on him how odd this had seemed when he was twelve…fire that could take you to any other grate you wanted? Granted, everything about the wizarding world was strange back then. Now he was rather amused as he saw Muggles board trains or busses. They still assumed they had the most advanced means of transport that could be found.

As he left the house, Harry automatically reactivated the basic security spells. Admittedly, no one could actually see the place unless they had been told of it, but paranoia came with the job. Coming into the entrance hall, he shot a grin back at the portrait of Mrs. Black. They had never managed to remove it from the wall, but threats of having the wall itself removed had convinced the hysterical woman to settle for withering looks every time they passed.

"Master Harry is going out, yes?" His grin widening slightly, Harry knelt to meet the house elf's eyes.

"Yeah, I'm heading off," he confirmed, accepting the traveling cloak offered. "Ginny's already left with James, so it'll just be you for a while, alright?" Kolsi nodded vigorously, bowing as the man stood again.

"Kolsi will keep the house most excellent for Master Harry, oh yes," she assured. "And Master Harry will return by the month's end, correct?" Kolsi was probably one of the few elves that actually listened to conversations that went on around the house. Most seemed to only pay attention to things directed at them, which tended to get extremely repetitive.

"That's right. A month, at the most. That would be a bit extreme, really, but I'm not entirely sure what to expect." He stooped to shake her hand, something which seemed to give her no end of joy. "Take care of things, alright? Feel free to buy any food you need and get a hold of Ginny if you really need anything."

"Oh yes, thank you Master Harry!" the elf chirped, bowing once again; one habit they couldn't manage to break her of…"Have good travels! Kolsi will have things spotless when you return!" Waving to her as she pattered off up the stairs, Harry chuckled slightly, his gaze sweeping over the wall. One of the first things they managed when moving in here had been removing the multitude of elf heads. They had been replaced with plaques listing names and dates of service to the house. Kreacher's was nearest to the door and the most ornate as Hermione had demanded she be allowed to make it. Pausing at the black door, he absently ran one hand along the engraving added toward the bottom of the plaque; _Completed every task, even in the face of Death. _Ron had complained that it was sappy beyond belief, but Harry assured him that the elf deserved something sappy.

Cloak over one arm and a rucksack in the other hand, Harry shut the door behind him with a snap. Taking a moment to maneuver his grips, he waved his wand briefly over the locks before tucking it into his pocket again. The man glanced up at the upper levels, briefly wondering how quickly he could get this job done with so he could come back again. Gaze sweeping the street, even though he was aware that no one could see him on the top step anyway, he turned on the spot and was immediately pulled into the strange constricting vacuum that he assured Ginny he had never gotten used to.

The Ministry seemed to suddenly fall into his line of vision as he was released again and Harry barely paused before striding out of the Apparating area. It wasn't extremely busy this time of day, but having someone land on him was never a welcome thing. Nodding briefly to the guards at one end of the hall he set a direct course for the Minister's office, habit guiding his steps. The lift was empty, apart from the ever-present memos that fluttered around the light; a few followed him out onto the fourth floor and down the hallway to the large door that was the man's destination. A small label announced it to be the office of Stanley Evenrod. The Minister had never gone to any lengths to remind people of his position, really, something others had been insistent on proclaiming. Harry rapped on the door, pushing it open with one shoulder as a loud "It's open!" emanated from the room. Evenrod sat at his desk, brown eyes still locked on the paper in front of him as the man stepped inside. There was a few seconds of silence before he pushed it away with a slight sigh and then looked up at his visitor with a grin.

"Morning, Harry," he greeted, leaning back in his chair as he glanced the young man over. "And to what do I owe this visit?" Evenrod wasn't an impressive looking man, by far. Though he was tall, he was as thin as a broomstick and not one of the strongest officials around. Dusty brown hair often fell over his eyes and it wasn't uncommon to see a spot of ash on his face from the times spent assisting in other departments. He was likeable, though, and could be deadly serious when the need arose. Though many had asked Kingsley to run for the position, he had turned it down and Evenrod was certainly the other best choice.

"Minister," Harry returned, nodding politely. "I apologize for the interruption, sir, but I just need to check out before I go."

"Harry, please…formality level needs to lower." Evenrod waved one hand for emphasis, barely containing a laugh. "How many times do we have to go over this?" Harry grinned, shrugging briefly.

"Apparently a few more, sir. You know how thickheaded I can get." The Minister did laugh at that, shaking his head.

"Oh trust me, I know…So you're headed out today, then? Any idea as to when you'll get back?"

"Not really, sir" he said. "I'm not all that sure what I'll have to get straightened out once I get over there, but I will be back within a month. It could take as little as a week, but there's no way of knowing at the moment." Evenrod nodded slowly, his grin slipping into a very slight frown.

"I see…And this is a personal business trip, you say?" Harry nodded again, realizing that he was now treading on thin ice.

"Yes, sir. I normally would find someone else, but there are a few things that I specifically may be needed for. My department should be fairly quiet while I'm gone, I made sure to finish up all the reports. If any demanding ones come in, Farris will take care of it." Ah, evading the actual question…something that had been a necessity back at school. He was pleased to see he hadn't lost the skill since then. Evenrod contemplated him for a moment, obviously spotting the vagueness of the answer before shrugging it off.

"Right, well I wish you the best of luck," he said briskly. "The main desk already knows you're leaving, so you can just take a Floo to the transfer station in New York and find your way from there."

"Thank you, sir," Harry murmured, shaking the Minister's hand quickly. "I'll make sure to let you know when I get back." As he pulled the door open again, allowing a small flock of memos to swoop inside, the young man gave a final wave before backing out. Stanley Evenrod sighed, pulling the next report in front of him and peering at it for a moment.

"Amity Park…" he muttered, reaching for a quill. "What in Merlin's name has to be done in Amity Park?"

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"Morning, sir." The greeting was accompanied by a large yawn and Harry looked around as he stepped out of the grate, absently brushing ash off of his cloak. A rather disheveled young man stood to one side, clipboard in hand and having the obvious look of one who had been up all night.

"Morning," Harry returned with a grin. "Long night?" The guard gave a half-hearted chuckle, scribbling something down on the paper.

"Every night is a long night on this shift. You're coming from London, right? No sane person could be that awake if they were out of the States. It's already a reasonable hour there if I remember the time zones correctly." Harry nodded, glancing quickly around at the seemingly deserted floor.

"Straight from the Ministry. What time is it here, then?"

"A little after three thirty," the guard told him, glancing quickly at his watch. "Five hour difference." Stretching his arms quickly, he gestured to the left at the end of the hall. "The front desk can help you get anything you need and point you to near anyplace in the country…if they're awake, that is." With a chuckle, the newcomer gave a brief wave.

"Thanks, sir. Try not to fall into one of the fires."

"Haven't managed that in almost a year, don't worry…"

The door swung softly shut behind him as Harry strode out, hoisting his bag further onto his shoulder. The place was quiet and fairly dark, the light bulbs glowing dimly every few yards. He found it rather strange that they actually used light bulbs; the Ministry still used torches in many places or just lit everything with magic. It seemed to be modeled after the Muggle government buildings, really. The floor was basic tile, the walls seemed to be drywall and the door handles were terribly boring. The thought made him laugh as he realized just how absurd it sounded. At least the portraits were the same…or pictures, rather. None were paintings, but they did all appear to be sleeping soundly. The sound of light breathing was nearly drowned out by the man's footsteps and he was grateful that they all seemed to be heavy sleepers. Waking one at three thirty in the morning wasn't a good idea no matter what country you were in. Pausing to glance at a sign on one wall, Harry frowned slightly as he read it. The front desk was on the first floor, naturally…but where were the lifts? With a snort he continued down the hall, green eyes scanning every corridor he passed. Ah, there it was, stuck in some unobtrusive corner as usual. Pressing the 'down' button, he glanced up at the small lights above the door. A large sign next to them proudly declared 'Elevator' which deepened his puzzled frown. Was that what they called lifts? Merlin, these Americans were strange. Further inspection of the door revealed a smaller sign, this one informing the user to _not _take the lift if the building happened to be on fire. It suggested tumbling down a flight of stairs or (as a scribbled note at the bottom said) simply Apparating out. Harry was laughing as the doors slid open with what seemed to be a satisfied ding. The inside seemed to have more of a magical influence than the outside did; there were no buttons like Muggle lifts had, and a rather quiet voice spoke up as soon as the doors shut.

"Welcome to the Magical Congress," it seemed to purr, reminding Harry very forcibly of Luna. "What is your destination?"

"Er…first floor. Please." He didn't really know why he said please, but it just seemed like something you were required to be polite to. As it began descending, he was grateful that there wasn't any attempts at music. 'Elevator music' was something of a running joke when anyone mentioned America. There was another soft ding as it reached the first level and the doors slid open again.

"Enjoy your stay, sir," the voice told him, echoing slightly in the entrance hall as he stepped forward. The place was…well, large. It seemed just smaller than the Entrance Hall at Hogwarts, and that was saying quite a lot. The statue was the first thing to catch his eye; it rivaled the Ministry's in size, but the subject was certainly different. The bad lighting combined with the fact that he was facing its back didn't allow Harry to discern immediately what exactly it was. Pausing for a moment outside the lift, he then strode forward, automatically trying to walk quietly. Every sound reverberated, and he seemed to be the only one in the hall at the moment. Circling to the statue's right, he stopped in front of it and grinned. A griffin…fitting. The creature was by far the biggest being in the work, and it took him a moment to spot the others. What appeared to be a house elf, goblin, and mermaid were all looking up at the griffin and the first thought that came to mind was the Ministry's fountain. Something seemed different with this one, however; their faces weren't ones of adoration or servitude, but of simple respect. After another glance, Harry caught sight of two people between the creature's paws. _Wizards? _He frowned slightly, stepping forward in an attempt to see them better. One was indeed a wizard, as he was holding a wand at his side. The other, however, was empty-handed. His expression was a combination of respect and slight bewilderment. _A Muggle…_The engraving underneath the figures was short and seemed to ring some bell of familiarity in the man's mind; …_With Liberty and Justice for All._

"It's called _The Griffin's Protection._" Harry jumped at the sudden voice, his hand halfway to his pocket before he spotted the receptionist seated at the desk. She looked nearly as tired at the guard had been, though there was a book propped open on her knees and a torch in one hand. At least she had a way of keeping herself awake. A few locks of black hair fell into her face as she looked up and the girl brushed them away impatiently. She couldn't have been older than nineteen…this shift was probably the first job out of school she had gotten, a rather impressive one for someone her age. As the man approached the desk she reached underneath to flip a switch. The lights above the area flickered into life and she flipped off her torch, pushing the book to one side. _Twilight? _he wondered as he glanced at the cover. _What does twilight have to do with apples? _Shaking the thought away, he glanced at her nametag quickly.

"Morning, Miss Bartol," he greeted with a grin. "It's an…impressive statue, to say the least. Quite a bit different from what I'm used to, to be honest." The receptionist studied him for a moment before a quick look of understanding crossed her face.

"You're from England, aren't you?" she inquired, one eyebrow raising. "The accent's unmistakable, and I've seen a picture of the fountain you guys have in the…it's the Ministry there, right?" As he nodded, Bartol gave a small snort. "Yeah…I had to study a bit about the different governments. That fountain always seemed to touch a nerve, the expression the elf had…" She rolled her eyes briefly before picking up a pen and pulling a form out of one drawer. "What's your name then, sir?"

"Harry Potter," he told her, lowering his bag to the floor and leaning against the desk. "I'm not sure if Evenrod sent word of my coming, it's not usually needed…" The girl shook her head, jotting the name down at the top of the paper.

"Nah, we just need to know you're here and that you don't plan on blowing anything up during your stay." As green eyes widened, she glanced up with a grin. "It's a joke, sir. Now, if I can see your wand for a minute…" He fished it quickly out of his pocket, handing it to her with only a very slight hesitation. After all, they did the same thing back in London. He had never figured out the purpose behind it, but apparently it was a common practice. The machine seemed exactly the same, too; a small scale with only one side that spit out a slip of paper after she had set the wand onto it. Ripping off the paper, the girl glanced it over quickly. "Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, right?" Harry nodded, accepting his wand as she handed it back.

"If I might ask…why the light bulbs?" he inquired, gesturing at the hanging lights above the desk. Bartol shrugged lightly, still scribbling at the form.

"We usually keep them off at night. No one's here, saves electricity. It's just easier to see when I do have them on."

"Well no, I meant…" The man paused, attempting to find a less blunt way of asking the question. "Why do you use them at all? The Ministry usually just has various types of magical lights or even torches…light bulbs are really a Muggle thing, aren't they?" The pen stopped moving and she continued to stare at the paper for a moment before looking up with a slight frown.

"You didn't really get the statue, did you?" she asked quietly and Harry glanced back at it. "_…Liberty and Justice for All_. That's not just the Congress' motto, Mr. Potter, that the country's lifeline. You British people may segregate yourselves from Muggles, but we're essentially a part of them. Or they're a part of us, I can't really remember which way that goes." The girl paused as if pondering it for a moment before continuing. "We don't abandon things just because the Muggles use them. The place needed to be lit. Light bulbs worked, they were cheap, and there's no chance of some spell going wrong if the wrong person tries to fix it. We just get a ladder and change them." She bent over the paper again as the man stared at her, eyes wide.

"Where…where's that from?" he asked finally. "The motto, I swear I've heard it before." Bartol laughed at that, black hair flying as she shook her head.

"The Pledge of Allegiance? Really, it was _your _country that made us write it, after all. We can basically thank England for the way things shaped out here, as we were trying to get as far away from it as possible. 'All men are created equal' and all that." She finished the last line, signing the bottom with a slight flourish and ripping the bottom section off carefully. "Here, you keep this in case any of the paranoid officials asks for it…I stick this part in here…" The girl slipped the remainder of the paper into a drawer as Harry stuck his into his pocket. "And you're good to go, I think." The man blinked once, looking her over again quickly and then down at himself.

"I, uh…I think I might need to get some clothes," he told her. "The styles back home are quite a bit different, and I don't exactly want to stick out here." Bartol chuckled, pulling out a blank sheet of paper and beginning to write something on it.

"Right…you still have corsets and coat-tails there, do ya? Well, the store's not far from here. Only place that's open at this hour, and they're cheap. You have money, right?" Her eyes widened slightly as he pulled out a few Galleons and the girl shook her head. "No, I mean _our _money…No? Ah, crud, I'm slow at making money changes. Just one sec…" She dug through her drawers again, tugging a rather crumpled paper out and laying it on the desktop. "Right…so how much are you getting?"

She certainly wasn't the fastest, but Harry was impressed nonetheless. He had always been terrible at math, and he never really found any times that required it. The calculator the receptionist pulled out intrigued him, but he felt it would be too Mr. Weasley-esque to ask about it. As Bartol handed him the bills, he realized it was more of a Mr. Weasley moment than he had thought.

"Wait, so…this is a twenty? Right, there's the number…but this is a five. Merlin, why are they all the same color?" It seemed he was amusing the girl immensely and he quickly tucked the money into a pocket on his bag figuring he would risk looking like a weirdo. Taking the paper he was offered, he glanced over the directions to the store as she explained with vague pointing and gestures.

"Just down the block here, take a left on 32nd and then it's in the plaza on the right. You really can't miss it, the sign's huge." As he shrugged on his cloak and lifted his bag again, Bartol switched off the lights once more and picked up her book. "The information area will be open at eight," she told him. "You can get changed and get some breakfast before then. I get off at five, so I doubt I'll see you." Harry grinned, giving the girl a wave.

"Pleasure meeting you, then, and thank you for the help." He was pushing the door open when her voice stopped him again and he glanced over his shoulder at the dimly-lit desk.

"Wait a minute…Harry Potter right? Weren't you the one who ended up killing Voldemort all those years back?" It had taken her this long? Harry chuckled, shrugging.

"Riddle? Yeah, that was me. It's been a long time, let me tell you…" He waved once more before stepping out onto the street and glancing down at the paper in his hands.

_Wal-Mart? What kind of name is that?

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_

**And so Harry gets his first taste of American culture. XD Ah, culture clashes…I love 'em! I apologize if I get some of the British stuff wrong, I'm just going from what the books say, so…-shrug- No knowledge of England other than that. Let me know and I'll fix it!  
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**Yeah, the plot has yet to start. That's why I felt I was able to get this one up. =3 It's funny and it gave me a short break from Danny Phantom writing. So, review, let me know what ya think…things should start happening in the next chapter! (Including harry going to Wal-Mart! At about four in the morning! In New York City! Aaah, that should be fun. ^^)  
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**Many kudos!**

**~Waggy**


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

**UPDATE: This chapter has been betaed by dragondancer123. Hooray for her! =3 She's my official beta person from now on, so things might run a little more smoothly. She's excellent with wording. If you want you can feel free to read the chapter over again, but nothing big has been changed. The only real difference is the bit at the end; Harry is in the mall rather than outside of IHOP. XD She figured it would make more sense to have the trio mall-crawling and getting food.**

**Welcome to the third installment of Collisions! Please buckle your seat-belt and keep your arms and legs inside the fanfiction at all times.**

**Disclaimer; See those things I own over there? -points- Those are mine. All those things over there that I obviously don't own? -points other direction- Those aren't mine. =3

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So it was official; Americans were insane.

Harry blinked in the sudden light as he stepped off the bus with his bag clutched in one hand. The street wasn't all that busy, but the few people that did pass by didn't spare the man a second glance. It seemed his change into the basic t-shirt - sporting some team logo on its front; he had no idea who they were - and blue jeans paid off. As his ride pulled away, he settled himself onto the bus stop's bench, tugging a map from his pocket and glancing over it.

_First sign of insanity, _he thought as he stifled a yawn. _Their time zones…Merlin, it should be eleven now…_The six hour difference was already apparent. Granted, he never went to sleep before midnight, but all of the work he usually did around this time were reports he could hardly stay awake for. Here it was only five and everyone appeared to be driving home. All Harry really wanted to do was collapse into some bed.

_Second sign of insanity…their stores. _The wizard's first glimpse into American culture hadn't exactly been a great one. Wal-Mart itself was bad enough, or so the information booth had informed him. At four in the morning, however, things were just bizarre. He had nearly hexed a man who ran up to him screaming about the wheelbarrows in aisle nine, had a very one-sided conversation with some woman that insisted on informing him about how the world would one day implode in on itself and he needed to buy a whole supply of tinned cat food as soon as possible…And that was just in the parking lot. The inside of the store wasn't too frightening; Ginny _had _taken him shopping in one back home before, so he knew the general concepts. The people, however, identifying him as a foreigner, had gone to every length to convince him that he needed everything from a set of car tires to every grape they had in stock. A janitor had shouted at him for a good five minutes when Harry had stepped on a recently mopped floor tile and the woman managing the clothing department seemed to see him as a perfect chance to try out every fashion imaginable.

In short, it had ended up taking two and a half hours to get a few pairs of jeans and new shirts. The man was rather proud of himself when he got the payment correct. The bills weren't all that difficult to figure out, but he was wondering the entire time what kind of country would make all their money green.

His breakfast was short and very uneventful. The early-morning restaurant a cashier had pointed out named IHOP (he really couldn't understand their naming logic; he would have guessed the place sold pogo sticks or something similar) was empty when he was there and the staff seemed tired enough to abandon any attempts at conversation. He was content to linger, however, as the information desk didn't open until eight. The witch there was pleasant enough, if not extremely social. She looked up the location of Amity Park and found the nearest grate attached to the Floo Network, a small Congress office in Chicago. Harry arrived in the city at 7:30 (blasted time zones again…) and it took the officials there a while to be convinced that he really _did _want to find a way to the small town.

"Amity Park is strange, Mr. Potter," one clerk informed him, "even for you. We used to get calls all the time to sort out some rampaging technology, but there was no trace of magic at all when the crew arrived. Things just go weird there, but there are no registered wizards in the area. Plenty here, mind you, but further south…" He shook his head in a bemused way. "I dunno what's going on, but I certainly wouldn't go encouraging people to vacation there." Harry finally managed to get the man to look into transportation, only to find that the only way was by bus. Apparently, due to the lack of magic population, there were no set Apparating areas, and nowhere the Congress would risk sending a Portkey. The town wasn't known well enough to figure out less-traveled paths that would insure privacy from Muggle eyes. The two-and-a-half hour drive was extremely uneventful and utterly boring, but at least it got him there.

_Third sign of insanity…their ghost-obsessed towns. _Harry sighed slightly as he pushed himself to his feet and began striding down the sidewalk. It seemed like a fairly ordinary place; one billboard went so far as to advertise that it was 'A nice place to live!' It showed a few details that hinted otherwise, however. There was road construction at one corner, apparently repairing a small crater in the asphalt. A building to the left had cracks radiating from a point about twenty feet up as if something had been thrown into it.

_Wand work, _the Auror thought to himself with a frown. _There's nothing else that could cause that much damage…or hit that far up, for that matter. _It was obvious there were _some _wizards here, whether they were registered or not. They were obviously of age if the Trace didn't pick them up…but why would there be no signs of magic use when the inspectors came?

With another yawn he pointedly decided that all investigations would wait until tomorrow. It wasn't like the town would vanish into another dimension overnight.

His bag once again hoisted onto his shoulders, Harry asked for directions to the nearest hotel (something he was sure Ginny would be proud of), and though his distinct accent insured odd looks the young man was soon leaning wearily on the counter of a rather cheap place that proudly advertised indoor heating on its sign.

"You're not from here, are ya?" the woman behind the desk inquired as she filled in what little information he could give. "That accent sounds more…I dunno, French or something." Green eyes barely restrained themselves from rolling at that comment and he shook his head.

"London, actually. I'm just visiting for a while. Taking some time off work."

"Odd place for a vacation, this." The cashier stared dully at the computer screen as it registered his room. "Most people try and vacation _from _it, really."

"Why would that be?" Just because he was exhausted didn't mean he couldn't get _some _information. The woman blinked once before looking up, one eyebrow raised.

"What, you didn't hear about it coming here? This is the most haunted town in the country. Ghosts just love it here, for whatever reason. Most of the time they don't do much besides some property damage, but there've been full-out invasions on occasion." Harry glanced out the window with a slight frown.

"I don't believe in ghosts myself, really," he told her after a pause. "I'm sure I'll be fine." She simply snorted, handing the visitor his room key.

"Right, that's what most of the people say. Just don't complain when it happens, I warned ya." He gave a short wave as she vanished through the door behind the desk once more and strode down the single hallway to the door labeled 125. It wasn't anything particularly impressive, but it had a bed and running water. His bag falling to the floor, the wizard managed to pull his shoes off before falling back onto the mattress. His head was pounding slightly, he had barely eaten lunch (if a squashed gas-station sandwich could count as a lunch) and it was definitely too late to try getting a hold of Ginny.

"This place better be about to implode," he muttered as he placed his glasses on the bedside table. "Otherwise Percy's going to pay for every expense when I get home…"

* * *

It ended up being the sun that woke Harry in the morning. His room's window faced east and once the morning cleared the taller buildings, it allowed in the very unwelcome streams of bright light. With a muttered curse he rolled over, in an attempt to get back to sleep only to find it rather useless. The man glanced at the clock to his right and grimaced; 7:45. It was almost two back in London, then. Merlin, he hadn't slept that late since school…With a sigh he pushed himself up, quickly pulling on a clean outfit and making a futile attempt to get his hair to lie flat. Shoving his wand in his pocket and 'official papers' in the front of his bag, he trudged back into the main lobby.

"You checking out then?" It took a moment for Harry to register that the voice was addressing him. Blinking once, he turned back to the front desk and attempted a slight grin.

"Not sure, really. I'll be paying for a night at a time, probably. No telling when I plan on leaving." The cashier simply shrugged, still buried behind her newspaper.

"Suit yourself." She glanced up once as the man was just reaching the door and added "A word of advice, though; if you hear screaming and explosions, run the other way. We got too many idiots running right into the middle of aerial dog fights and then complaining when they're in the line of fire." Harry raised one eyebrow at this before his still-tired brain insisted he not question the woman.

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you…"

Amity Park didn't seem to be an exceedingly busy town. There were more people walking around now than there had been when he first arrived, but given that it was a Saturday, that made sense. The road construction was still going strong, and it seemed they were nearly finished. _Impressive, really…the Muggles in London take ages to fix much of anything. _He leaned against the streetlight on the corner, waving vaguely to one of the workers as they passed. He might as well get started now if he wanted to get home quick.

"Morning, sir," the wizard greeted as his current subject of questioning approached. "Hope I'm not interrupting you…"

"Ah, nah, I'm on break." As if to prove it, he pulled the yellow construction hat off and tucked it under one arm, holding out the other hand to shake. "Robert Harvey," he introduced. "I only tell you that because you're obviously not from here, right?" Harry chuckled slightly as he returned the handshake, eyes rolling briefly.

"Is it that obvious?" Harvey simply laughed, shrugging.

"Well, I keep expecting to see the Queen with that accent…besides, no one likes the Giants over here."

"Giants?" Were there giants this far west?

"Your shirt?" the worker gestured at the logo on Harry's chest with a rather playful grimace. "Giants are New York, we're all about the Bears. Or…well, most of us are. You got those few crazies like the mayor who obsesses over Packers." Harry blinked a few times before nodding rather warily.

"Of course…" Harvey chuckled almost apologetically.

"Yeah, but don't get me started on football. I can go on for hours. Did you need something?"

"Just a bit of information." _Fourth sign of insanity…football. _"I was curious when I saw the damage here." He nodded at the asphalt, which still sported a few large cracks. "What could've caused that? It seems a bit too…large to be considered normal."

"Ah, well…" The previous laughter had fallen off the man's face as he glanced over his shoulder. "Trust me, this is nothing. These things can get up to five feet across. And the wall up there?" He pointed at the radiating cracks in the building that Harry had noticed the night before. "We're lucky it's not a hole. The fights can get rather destructive sometimes."

"Fights?"

"Right, foreigner, sorry…" Harvey seemed to grimace as he glanced back at the work once more. "Most of the country thinks this place is insane. I thought so too, until I moved out here." He looked back at Harry, his expression now rather wary. "You believe in ghosts, Mr…?"

"Potter. And honestly I'm not all that sure anymore." _Ghosts, yes. Ghosts that can do this? They're insane. _"We have ghost stories of course, but I've only ever heard of those that just…float around and scare people. Somehow it seems rather far-fetched to have one cause this sort of damage."

"Yeah, well…" the worker muttered. "That's what I thought too. Ghosts, you know, floating bed sheets that pop out and yell 'boo'. Trust me though, this town will turn a skeptic within a few days. It's rare to have a calm week. A ghost will show up, shout a bit, Phantom comes and fights them and people go about their lives."

"Wait, Phantom?" Harry stood suddenly straighter, Percy's letter ringing in his mind. '_One person he asked about it insisted that Phantom was almost never seen without another ghost present, and that they were always fighting for one reason or another.' _"Who's he?" Harvey waved one hand rather dismissively.

"Ah, he's the town's main ghost. Only one who doesn't seem to leave. Others come and go kinda randomly, but Phantom is always around. He's-"

"Bob!" The sudden voice caused both to jump, turning quickly to a tall man leaning against his shovel. "You gonna stand there all day chatting or come pour this gravel?" With a weary grin, Harvey slapped his hat back on quickly.

"Can it Al, I'm comin'!" Turning back to the visitor he gave a quick salute. "Duty calls, unfortunately. Good luck then, Mr. Potter, and for the sake of your sanity I hope you see no reason to believe in ghosts." He spun around, striding back to the construction and attempting to shout at the others over the sound of the equipment. Harry blinked once, watching the men carefully fill the hole before he shook his head and continued his trek down the street.

"Now what?" the wizard muttered to himself, dodging a group of kids who came barreling down the sidewalk on bikes. "They seem willing enough to talk about it, but it's not like I'm learning much listening to a bunch of ghost stories." He sighed once, one hand running over his face. There wasn't really a set plan of action. He was just supposed to find out what caused this mass delusion and put a stop to it. They just all seemed so sure of everything…

The man's stomach growled loudly, reminding him of the fact that he hadn't actually eaten a full meal since Chicago. Well…who said plans of action had to be long term? Breakfast first (even though it would be lunch in London) and then he would figure out his next step. It was always far too hard to concentrate on an empty stomach. At least he knew how to use the money now.

Granted, a hamburger store in the mall's food court didn't really match up to Kolsi's cooking…but it was certainly better than nothing, and he could trust their food to be edible. The place wasn't that crowded and no one was paying him any attention other than the woman who refilled his coffee. A group of teenagers had taken the table next to him, two of them complaining that it was still far to early to be awake.

"It's a Saturday, Sam," one boy groaned, his head falling onto the table with a thump. Black hair stuck up everywhere, reminding Harry of his own. The girl he was addressing sat down across from him and sighed, violet eyes rolling.

"Quit whining, you would've slept in until noon if I hadn't gotten you up."

"That's kinda the point…" The second boy sat himself next the first, taking off his glasses quickly and rubbing his eyes. "Saturdays are meant for sleeping. You know as well as we do how few chances we get to sleep in."

"Or sleep at all, for that matter," the black-haired teen put in, his voice muffled. "There must've been a dozen on Thursday, I didn't even manage to get Lancer's assignment done and it was the shortest I had." Sam reached across the table and punched him lightly on one arm with a scoff.

"Oh stop with the complaining. I told you to take the night off, but _you _insisted on going out. And there were only five, Danny, I counted."

As the waitress appeared at Harry's table with his order the man turned away from the group with a slight grin. There was no telling what exactly they were talking about, but the trio reminded him extraordinarily of himself Ron and Hermione. Granted, Ron wasn't African-American, but he did seem to enjoy eating as much as the boy with the beret seemed to.

His own meal went rather quickly. The teenagers were still chatting about something or other when a rather bored worker came to collect his tray.

"Anything else I can get you then, sir?" the waitress inquired, carefully stacking the plates on one hand and grabbing his payment with the other. The wizard paused a moment before mentally shrugging. It couldn't hurt to ask, at least.

"Actually, you may know the answer…I'm interested in looking into the alleged ghost attacks of the city, is there anywhere that would have most of the information?" Silence fell suddenly at the other table and he could feel three pairs of eyes turn to him incredulously.

"_Alleged?" _Danny whispered, just loud enough for the man to catch, glancing at his friends with a raised eyebrow. Sam seemed to shrug, replying in a quick mutter.

"Tourist…"

"The information center has a section on them," the server informed him with a slightly weary smile. He could tell she had also heard the hushed voices behind her. "I think the city is planning on building some museum, but it's still under consideration. Things usually happen too quickly for people to get a whole lot of information, but people at the center can tell you the best ways to stay safe if something _does _happen." Harry nodded, shooting a quick glance at the three as they seemed to be attempting to restrain laughs.

"I'll give it a look, thank you." He stood, stretching briefly as the woman walked away and then peered down at the trio with the hint of a smirk. "And yes, I am a tourist. What, was it the accent that gave it away?" The man gave a quick mock salute, now grinning as they looked up at him almost dumbstruck before he began striding back toward the main entrance.

The mall was quiet, most of its usual visitors still sleeping in. He blinked once in the bright sunlight that filtered through the skylight before finding the nearest bench and falling onto it with a sigh. Breakfast was out of the way…so now what? Apparently everyone was convinced of the 'ghost' attacks here. Perhaps if he found someone who _didn't _believe in them…

A sudden flash of green light erupted from a store across the spacious hall and the silence was disrupted by screams as people flooding out into the open entrance area. The Auror was on his feet in an instant, hand clenched around the wand in his pocket. There weren't that many curses that had such an identifiable green color…but who would attempt a Killing Curse in the middle of the day with all the Muggles around to see it?

_Someone who knows there aren't supposed to be wizards here, _he concluded grimly, sprinting quickly to the edge of the crowd and attempting to see over heads. The entire store seemed to be glowing now…some electronic store, apparently. Impressive effects, he had to admit. The Muggle's attentions were certainly caught. Everyone jumped as a sudden loud laugh emitted from the building, seemingly from the electronics themselves. It was far from menacing, however, as Riddle's had been. This one just seemed…annoying.

"At last!" The voice was loud and rather nasally. Harry had the strangest desire to laugh as he heard it, trying to picture what Dark wizard would have a voice like that. "After I absorb the energy from these machines I will once again be able to-"

"To what, rampage with a few toaster ovens?" The new voice was just as loud and seemed to be a mixture of amusement and annoyance. Everyone automatically looked up and Harry followed their gaze, green eyes widening as he spotted the source. A young boy, seventeen at the oldest, was levitating some ten feet above them. He wore a black body-suit trimmed with white and a large white D splashed across his chest. There was something rather impressive about him, to be honest…The boy was 'standing', arms crossed in a posture that exuded confidence and his bright green eyes seemed to be nearly glowing with excitement. But why did his voice seem familiar…?

"Nonsense, boy!" The nasally voice was back, though Harry didn't look away from the newcomer as he tried to figure out the spell being used to hold himself up like that. He didn't seem to have a wand…"You cannot defeat me this time, for I am Technus! Master of-"

"Master of 'I never shut up', I mean really!" The kid laughed, drifting to the front of the store rather nonchalantly. "Do you ever get tired of screaming everything to the sky?" Blinking a few times, Harry turned to the nearest observer, a young girl who couldn't have been older than seven.

"Who _is_ that?" he asked quietly, and she looked up at him like he was mad.

"Who's _that?_" she squeaked, arms crossing in indignation. "Duh! That's Danny Phantom, he's like…the coolest!" Green eyes blinked once more as he looked back at the boy with the snow-white hair.

Well, he had found Phantom at least…

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**:3 Viola! No, don't worry, Technus isn't the 'big bad guy' of the plot…I honestly don't know who is yet, still working on those details. XDD Tell me if you have any preferences or ideas! Sorry this one's short!  
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**Welcome to Amity Park then, Harry. You certainly won't be a skeptic for long. (He **_**is **_**going to be stubborn though. After all, there is **_**no **_**way ghosts can do anything but float around and haunt buildings. He's assuming both Technus and Danny are wizards at the moment. =3)**

**The beginning of this one is a little rushed, I admit, but I wanted to get him here without having to go through every detail…and I actually would love to write a one-shot about Harry's trip to Wal-Mart. XD It would be fun.**

**Hope ya liked it! Shoot me reviews! (Don't actually shoot them! -ducks-) Until next time!**

**~Waggy**


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

**Waggy has returned with another installment of Collisions! Now available in all-new **_**Crossover Vision! **_**For those using **_**Crossover Vision **_**please plug in your open-mindedness now!**

…**And no, Harry Potter is not mine. As I recently learned Hartman gave the fans permission to do things like this, I won't bother putting a disclaimer for DP anymore. BASK IN THE GLORY!

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The two 'fighters' were really something out of the ordinary, that much was obvious. Harry put up one hand to shield his eyes from the bright mall lights, attempting to spot Phantom's wand. It was a possibility he could simply fly, of course…but it was nearly unheard of, and many thought it to be a Dark power. Unless he was using a broom and simply cast a powerful invisibility spell over it…but the boy was standing, not sitting on anything. And the way he was angled, leaning back casually, it didn't look like he was supported by anything at all. No, it had to be a spell. Had to be,he told himself stubbornly. No way he could just be floating like that. The young man made a mental note to ask him which spell he used if he got the chance.

"Nonsense, boy!" Whoever was in the electronics store was speaking again. He certainly was a master of presentation, it seemed. The wizard doing the casting was unseen so far, but he managed to magnify his voice enough to seem like it was coming from the appliances themselves. "You will all tremble before the might of Technus! I will use these devices to upgrade once again and move on to the -" Phantom seemed rather bored as the voice droned on, informing him exactly how he was going to somehow take over the world through the school's laptops, and Harry couldn't blame him. Technus's voice somehow reminded him of Professor Binns' drone; they both resembled an old vacuum, although this one was louder and _not _talking about the various goblin rebellions. The plan seemed…idiotic, to say the least. What could one do with a bunch of laptops? Throw them?

"Right, sounds great," Phantom interrupted after a while. "Look, I have a full day of doing nothing to get back to. Can we just get this over with?" He reached around to his belt as if expecting to grab something there. As the white-gloved hand closed around air, the boy frowned and glanced down. He seemed to curse under his breath, green eyes turning to the crowd. "You there! Random citizen!" He suddenly pointed at a teenager in the crowd, one Harry vaguely recognized as the African-American kid from the food court. "Can I borrow that?" Harry couldn't see what he was pointing at over the heads of the crowd, but it became apparent as what looked like a soup thermos was tossed at the pale boy. One eyebrow raised as he watched Phantom catch it, giving a sharp salute before turning back to the store.

_Soup? _The young man questioned silently. _What is he going to do with soup? _One hand automatically went to his pocket, wrapping around the smooth wood of his wand. Phantom seemed to know what he was doing, but teenagers were often overconfident - he knew from experience. The rumored 'ghost' had apparently landed at the front of the crowd, as all Harry could see of him was the top of the white hair striding forward. If he _were _going to end up helping, it would be easier if he could see what was going on. With muttered apologies, the wizard wove through the various people to the front. He definitely couldn't lose the kid after this; it would take far too long to track him down again. Besides, this confrontation should be interesting.

By now the electronics were floating a few feet off the ground, surrounded by a dark green glow and their cords whipping behind them like strange tails. The bystanders seemed wary, being sure to stay a good distance back. Phantom, however, still had a mixture of boredom and cockiness on his face.

"You cannot beat me this time, child!" Technus cried at the same time the appliances became agitated. "Soon all will tremble before the might of Technus and my mastery over all things electronic and beeping!" As if to emphasize this point, a toaster rose above its companions, the two slots sparking in what was apparently supposed to be menacing. The pale teen raised an eyebrow at it as the kitchen appliance shot forward. Harry barely managed to catch the sticker on the front proclaiming how energy efficient it was before Phantom dodged nimbly to one side and the toaster met its demise against the opposite wall. He glanced back at the smoldering metal behind him before turning back to his challenger with a slight sigh.

"I really don't have time for this…" The mutter was soft and apparently not meant to be heard, though the wizard guessed his Auror training was to blame when it came to picking out quiet clues like that. "Come on, a _toaster?_" Phantom's voice had risen again and he crossed his arms with a chuckle. "I've seen scarier toast. You were more of a challenge the first time, you realize that? I think you should get your money back for that upgrade." As the mass of electronics advanced a few feet, the awestruck crowd retreated. Harry - more to blend in than anything else - followed, his grip tightening on his wand. Blinking a few times, he rubbed his free hand over his eyes quickly while attempting to stifle a yawn. _Blasted time zones…Only a day here and they're already messing with me._ Granted, he never got much sleep at home either, but this was a time when he couldn't exactly afford to be unfocused. With a quick shake of the head, the man watched as Phantom seemed to kick off the ground below him, shooting a few feet higher into the air. Bright green eyes glanced up and narrowed as he spotted the thick ceiling above him.

_Not much of an aerial battle in here, _Harry realized with a slight frown. _He'd have to get them outside for that…but who fights in the air? _

"C'mon then," Phantom called, hitting the thermos he still held idly against one hand. "Got any more toasters for me?" Toasters weren't the first attackers, though there were a few that followed suit as the electronics converged into a large mass, all sparking and waving their various accessories wildly. Whatever this was, it was obvious the Americans had a very different way of doing things, small 'battles' included. As the challengers collected themselves, they rose up in one wave of metal and wires, pausing only for a moment before throwing themselves at the pale teenager. The logical part of the Auror's mind realized that there was no way he could dodge them all, but having seen what this kid was doing so far, he didn't bother jumping to any conclusions.

He felt a small surge of satisfaction as he wasn't disappointed. None of the attackers ended up reaching Phantom, which was a considerable feat, considering their numbers. The satisfaction was replaced quickly, however, by shock. He struggled not to squint as the mall was once again lit with a bright green flash. _What in Merlin's name…? _It was a piercing color, and Harry's mind automatically darted to the Killing Curse. Phantom still didn't seem to have a wand, however, and what teenager would know a spell like that? It didn't even seem to be killing…more like disintegrating. Upon further inspection, his eyes widened even further. The blasts were coming - literally - out of the white-gloved hand. He was only using his right, as the left still held the cylindrical container. His attacks were a steady stream of green until the boy seemed to cut it off and aim elsewhere. The entire mob of appliances was gone within a minute, leaving the area silent for a moment. Having far too much experience with abnormal fights, Harry turned his attention immediately back toward the store, not very surprised as Phantom did the same.

"Had enough, then?" the white-haired teen called, his smirk still firmly in place. "Come on, that was just pathetic." Harry noticed him descending slightly as he spoke, stopping as he came level to the broken door. Whoever was inside had yet to show themselves, but they didn't have any problem with talking non-stop.

"You underestimate the might of Technus!" the self-proclaimed 'master of technology' shouted rather indignantly. "I shall prevail, and all will kneel before my awesome might and-" Phantom seemed to give a dramatic sigh, uncapping his thermos with one hand.

"Yeah, yeah," he said impatiently. "You can rant all you want once I send you back, alright?" The flash of blue light was unexpected and the young man stepped back quickly as a steady stream of it erupted from the opening in the 'soup' holder. It hit the remaining electronics - those still sitting in the store - dead on and Technus began yelling incoherently. The green light that filled the room was pulled from each of the screens and various appliances, sucked toward the boy as if the blue light were some sort of vacuum. The thermos swallowed the glows, both green and blue, as Phantom expertly snapped the lid back on. It was over far to quickly for anyone in the crowd to process, and the significant silence took Harry by surprise. What _was _that thermos, anyway? It was obviously designed to blend in with Muggles, but then why would he use it so openly? Was it some kind of magic attractor, pulling in remnants of spells and effectively canceling them? The store now seemed empty, at the very least. No more yelling, no more flailing electronics…

"Thanks for that!" The wizard started, looking around as Phantom waved to the device's original holder, a rather lopsided grin in place. "I'll return it once I get this idiot back where he belongs."

"Anytime, dude," the other boy called back, shrugging his backpack further up onto his shoulders. The bystanders were beginning to disperse, obviously quite used to this sort of spectacle. Some shot Phantom rather distrustful looks as they left while others appeared to be discussing his feats animatedly. Percy's letter suddenly came to mind and Harry shot a glance at the remains of the previously-attacking appliances.

…_;he's the only one that has questionable motives, as some insist he helps the town while others will tell you he is responsible for most of the damage…_

The mixed theories had been proven this time, at least. While he had managed to somehow defeat whoever had been terrorizing the mall in the first place, the store was now torn apart and the pale teen didn't seem to have any plans of picking up.

In fact…he didn't seem to have any plans of sticking around, either. Harry swore softly under his breath, whirling around quickly as he realized Phantom had vanished. He hadn't just walked away, or even floated toward the doors - he was simply gone. Still slightly disoriented by the fight ending so quickly, he wandered back to the food court and sat heavily in one of the many scattered chairs. Life had gone back to what seemed to be 'normal' very quickly. People were once again shopping, returning to their abandoned food, stopping in the hallway to chat, and there was a small group headed toward the damaged store with cleaning supplies. These attacks were apparently a regular thing.

"-probably the fastest fight I've seen since we moved here."

"You got that right. Remember the whole 'ghost king' ordeal? That lasted way too long for my liking."

"I still don't know why I haven't left this place yet." Green eyes turned to the conversation discreetly as Harry leaned back in his chair to get a better angle. Two businessmen sat at a table not far away, shoveling down the lunch that was sitting on it quickly. He guessed the battle had taken a decent section out of their lunch hour.

"Ah, come on," the younger one laughed, his fork waving vaguely. "Where else would you get a life this interesting? Besides, any job in this town pays nearly twice as much as the others, just because of the risks."

"Yeah, that's what I'm concerned about," the man replied, spearing a piece of chicken with his own utensil. "Jeanette's worried about taking the kids to the park because of the chance of a ghost attack…"

"It is a possibility," the first admitted with a shrug. "It always is, but it's been a long time since anything serious has happened. The ghosts come and they get beat. The worst one is usually that mechanical guy who seems to enjoy blasting holes through brick walls." Swallowing a large gulp of tea, - the fake sort, of course, from a can - he continued, "You tell her to go for a few walks. Then she'll see first hand, if there _is _a ghost, Danny Phantom will take care of it pretty quick. It's only because of the kid that _I _haven't left." Their conversation dwindled after that into more casual subjects and the Londoner turned away again, one hand idly tapping on his table. There was obviously something going on in this town. Amity Park was, as the man in Chicago had warned him, far stranger than he had expected. The wizards behind whatever was happening were oddities by themselves, but the fact they managed to get the entire town to believe in the 'ghost' cover story was an impressive feat.

One hand automatically made sure his wand was still securely in his pocket; Harry got to his feet and strode back to the large doors at the front of the mall. The woman at the food court had mentioned an information center…as much as he hated asking for help in finding information he was perfectly capable of finding by himself, the young man realized it would be far faster to just relent and ask a few questions. Following people who might give information worked rather well on the field back home, but considering the only lead he had managed to find somehow to vanished in a matter of seconds…there weren't many other options.

At least Ginny would be proud.

* * *

"These bloody Muggles are just _asking _to be investigated…" Harry scowled down at the small map of the city he held as he sat outside the information center with his nerves more fried than they had been since Kingsley had resigned. Granted, he had been able to get a 'history' of Amity Park and its ghost attacks, and the man had pointed him toward a couple that apparently knew more about the paranormal than the government officials who were _hired _to…

One hand rand over his face briefly and he sighed, folding the map again. He had gotten answers, but everything had just been so vague, they were of very little help. According to the workers, the attacks had begun 'Four years ago.' 'No, you idiot, it was three years!' 'That was just when the serious stuff came, the actual attacks started four years back…' They had given him conflicting stories of the worst invasions and when he mentioned Phantom, a five minute argument had ensued. Restraining himself from using the Bat-Bogey Hex Ginny taught him, Harry managed to just get hold of a map and the names of the people who could tell him more about the actual ghosts.

"They're all nuts," the Auror concluded to himself, getting to his feet and glancing up at the street sign. Fifth avenue…which meant he had six blocks left to walk. Rolling his shoulders briefly, Harry grabbed his bag again and set off down the street. He had committed the address to memory because he absolutely hated maps. They just made everything all the more complicated.

_1527 East Ninth Avenue, _he repeated to himself, both hands going into his pockets. According to the man behind the desk, the Fentons were easy to find. For one, every person in town knew where they lived, so directions would be easy to come by if needed. Additionally, he said the house was far from subtle. Apparently he just had to look for the, 'giant hunk of machinery on top, you can't miss it.'

The sidewalks were fairly busy. He had to dodge a few kids sprinting down the street and attempt not to be engulfed by a tour group that went by. It made him wonder vaguely who would _pay _to get a tour of this place, but the thought vanished quickly as a few bikes thundered past. The wizard ran one hand through his hair, glancing up at the stores as he passed. They were thinning out after three blocks, quickly surrounded by a residential neighborhood. So far nothing was out of the ordinary…which, for this town, was out of the ordinary in itself. The street lights were replaced by stop signs as the business section came to a screeching halt and Harry found himself surrounded by houses. Six blocks went surprisingly fast for someone who had gone through Auror training.

_1523, 1525...Well, that _would _explain the 'unmistakable' bit. _The sudden shade came as a bit of a surprise as none of the houses on the block seemed to be more than two stories tall. Green eyes narrowed briefly, looking up from the sidewalk to find whatever was blocking the warmth. The sight made his eyes widen in an instant and the young man stopped in front of house 1526, gaping across the street at what, apparently, was his destination. Even the Burrow couldn't top this one, and that was saying quite a bit. The house itself looked rather normal; two stories, red brick, just like the rest. A large sign dangling from the roof pointed toward the wall, proclaiming it to be 'Fenton Works' and that was far from abnormal compared to the rest of it. What looked to be half the city's metal was perched on top of the house with various satellites, sensors, and - if his eyes were still working correctly - a few guns.

"That has _got _to be breaking some building codes," he muttered, shaking himself out of the slight daze and crossing the street. "What in Merlin's name is that stuff even for?" Standing directly underneath it, the machinery was even more intimidating. It looked as if it were ready to topple onto the sidewalk at any second and crush innocent passerby. Managing to tear his gaze away from it, Harry stood a bit warily in front of the door with his hand half raised. "Gotta get this over with, Potter. It's just some eccentric people, they can't be worse than Xenophilius." Attempting to put on his 'casual' look, he rapped smartly on the door and took a small step back, hands returning to his pockets. It was just like any other interview he did with Muggles…except this time he had absolutely no leads.

A high pitched whining greeted him from the other side of the wood and he raised one eyebrow, leaning in slightly as he tried to identify it.

"I don't recognize you!" a loud booming voice greeted. "Are you another stinking ghost? Or a traveling salesman?" The wizard blinked, completely unprepared for this sort of welcome.

"I - no, sir, I'm just a tourist," he said quickly, his hand closing over his wand. It wouldn't do much good if he Apparated now, but whatever that whining was, it didn't sound friendly. "The people at the information center said the Fentons could tell me about the ghosts here, I thought I'd look them up." There was a slight pause before the door swung open and the view of the house was obscured by a large man in a bright orange jumpsuit. The suspicions about the sound were confirmed as he shouldered what looked to be a large silver and green bazooka and peered down at the visitor with some wariness.

"Not a ghost?"

"No, sir."

"And you won't try to sell me anything?"

"On my word." Another pause stretched out before Harry found himself suddenly clasped to the man's side and steered into the house, the door slamming shut behind them.

"Excellent!" he announced, directing - though it was more like dragging - the Auror to the couch. "Maddie, come quick! There's someone here to ask us about ghosts!" Hurried footsteps came from what he assumed to be a basement and a woman burst through the door with a welding rod still in hand. She was much slighter than her husband, though she too wore a similar jumpsuit - this one turquoise - with the hood and goggles pulled over her face.

"You didn't kidnap him, did you Jack?" she asked sharply, peering at Harry with a sharp gaze.

"Swear it, Mads, he came in on his own!" Jack clapped one hand on his guest's shoulder, pushing him onto the couch. Maddie pushed her hood and goggles back down around her neck, still watching Harry a bit warily.

"He didn't kidnap you, did he?" she asked and Harry resisted the urge to laugh. Maybe the whole 'no worse than Xenophilius' thought had been wishful thinking.

"No, ma'am," he assured her, rubbing his ribs where he had been pinned. "I've just heard stories about the ghosts in the area, and they say you and your husband are experts on them, so-"

"He's even foreign!" The large man beamed suddenly, abandoning his gun beside the coffee table. "Danny would love to meet you, Mr…?"

"Potter," he supplied, instinctively scanning the area for any more weapons. "Harry Potter."

"Right then, Mr. Potter, just sit tight for a second. Maddie, fetch some cookies, would ya? Watch the ones in the left cupboard though, they didn't take well to the treatment." Harry raised an eyebrow at this, but any questions died in his throat as the woman went immediately through another door and Jack strode to the foot of the stairs. "Danny-boy! C'mon down, we have a guest!" The muffled reply was far from comprehensible but that didn't seem to be an issue as Jack came back to the living room, sitting down on the chair across from Harry with a grin. "He's comin'. It's rare to have him home at all, you're lucky."

"How old is he?"

"Just turned seventeen. It was hard enough keeping the kid here when he was fourteen, but now-" The man cut off as his son appeared on the landing, taking the steps two at a time and landing on the ground floor with surprising agility.

"I can't stay long, Dad, Tuck's trying to get through the next level of _Doomed _and - Who're you?" Green eyes met light blue ones and the wizard felt a twinge of recognition. Danny was fairly tall, though not close to his dad's height. He had gained his mother's gangly figure and looked as if he had only just hit his growth spurt. If it weren't for the messy black hair and distinct lack of freckles, he could have been compared to Ron at that age.

"Harry Potter," he introduced, getting to his feet with a grin. "We met very briefly, I think. I'm the tourist, remember?" The boy's eyes widened and one hand went to the back of his neck rather nervously.

"Oh, right. Sorry about that, it's just…with the accent and all…" Harry chuckled with a shrug.

"It's understandable. I'd have to say the same about any of you lot if you were wandering around London."

"You're from London?" Jack broke back into the conversation eagerly. "Do they have ghosts there?"

"_Dad…_"

"There've been reports." The wizard shrugged, settling himself back onto the couch again. "None confirmed yet, but that happens everywhere I think."

"Oh, not here," the jump suited man assured him. "We've got too _much _proof around here, there are attacks nearly daily. Maddie and I had known it for years, of course, but it was only about four years ago…"

Harry's attention broke very briefly as he spotted Danny give a sigh, eyes rolling. Jack didn't seem to notice when the teenager wandered back upstairs as if this were a common occurrence. Resisting a grin, he went back to his host's blathering, figuring Xenophilius had finally met his match.

* * *

**Longest chapter yet, w00t. :3 The battle was short, but I assume after some three years of practice, Technus wouldn't be a really big threat anymore. More of a 'Oh, you again…' sort of thing.**

**Tell me what ya think! Reviews are loved, as are any other of those little alerts I get in my inbox. (But reviews are my favorite. X3) A special thanks to all those who have reviewed and put this on alert so far!**

**And a VERY special thanks to DragonDancer123, my amazing beta reader. You can thank her for making this readable! Yay for her!**

**Thanks for reading! Until next time!**

**~Waggy**


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